Sig P238 Pocket Carry? LCP? Body Guard? ????

This is a discussion on Sig P238 Pocket Carry? LCP? Body Guard? ???? within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Rgarding the .380 being to small. It looks bigger when its pointed at you.
I rarely carry .380 as a primary defense weapon, however I ...

Rgarding the .380 being to small. It looks bigger when its pointed at you.

I rarely carry .380 as a primary defense weapon, however I like the accessibility of them especially as a pocket carry in an appropriate holster. I like the pocket carry holster by Hunter that prints just like a wallet. The LCP I was using slides out easily and was a great choice for close quarters self defense. I do have a .38 snub Air Weight I just really haven't seen any pocket holsters that work well IMO. I do ankle carry my .38 especially when going to places I have to dress up. It conceals nicely with slacks And I prefer the .38 over the .380 just my preference.

Primary of choice is a G30sf
Back up of choice G26 or G19
Pocket Carry of choice May still be an LCP but I really like the way the SigP238 opperated for me when it rented it at the range. I'm sure I will end up with 2 more guns and extra LCP & a P238 its all good

That's the biggest thing for me. Invest whatever money your life is worth into your guns. Guns are like motorcycle helmets: If you ever (God forbid) have to use it, you'll be glad you bought a quality one.

Zero problems with my P238. Bought it when they first came out, 516 bucks out the door. Thing is accurate, easy to conceal and even though its a 380. I sure wouldn't want to get shot with one. Remember it is not the size of the bullet but the placement of the shot that counts.

My response to all .380 threads: Kahr PM9. For the slight size difference you get a better, more accurate gun. You can buy cheaper and more diverse ammo. For those who moan about the price difference there is the CM9. Do not choose a handgun based on price unless we are talking about custom 1911s and that is a matter of what it is worth to you.

I have two LCPs and a PM9. While the PM9 is only slightly larger, adding the pocket holster makes the size difference much more noticeable. The difference in weight is substantial - 20 oz loaded vs only 12 oz. The LCP feels like a wallet - in comparison, the PM9 feels like a brick.

I don't like thumb safeties, so the Sig P238 was not an option for me. For that reason, neither is the Bodyguard.

I also don't do caliber wars - a .380 FMJ will get 16-17 inches penetration after going through several layers of denim. That exceeds the FBI minimum of 12 inches, and also the desired 15 inches. Put them where they matter (which you need to do regardless of caliber) and they will do the job just fine. Heck, you could argue that .380 FMJ is the perfect self defense round - powerful enough to penetrate, but not so powerful that you need a JHP design to limit overpenetration. You can see the tests at GoldenLoki. I would not use JHPs in .380.

And before we hear howls of protest that FMJ is not adequate for defense - let's recall that the vast majority of people that have ever been killed by a firearm projectile have been killed with FMJ. And buckshot, which is widely regarded as the best man-stopper out there, is nothing more than a bunch of smooth, round, lead balls of light weight (60 grains or so) and smallish caliber (.34 or so).

Carry what you can carry all the time, train until you can hit what needs to be hit. Then train some more. Shoot until the threat stops. Tactics such as the zipper or Mozambique drill really make caliber arguments silly.

OP - Since you have Glocks (no thumb safety) I would suggest you give the LCP another try, and learn to shoot it well. The key is a consistent, smooth trigger pull. Shoot it like you mean it. The LCP is surprisingly accurate - one ragged hole shot groups at 7 yards are boringly easy to do. Add the finger extension to the mag (helps to get a firmer grip) and the CT laser - done. I ran a low light pistol class with mine - and was very pleased with the results. The other students (and the instructors) who were a bit skeptical at the start of the class...had nothing to say at the end.

I carry a S&W BG380 with FMJ's and yesterday just purchased a new Diamondback DB9 which is just about the same size as my BG380. I agree with what 10thmtn as said above, plus you have to remember that guns are very poor one shot stoppers. Heck, you see people getting shot with a 45 once or twice COM and still walking around. Again as 10thmtn has said "Tactics such as the zipper or Mozambique drill really make caliber arguments silly." With my BG380 I have 6+1 and an 6 round extra magazine. If I need more than that, then it is time to do some KUNG FU !!!! God Bless

I have an early Sig 238 and it has been flawless.
I've read so many stories, I keep thinking mine should fail, but it never has.
Here's the plus side.
1. Looks good.
2. Slide locks back on last round.
3. Has real sights.
4. Can be had with night sights.
5. Very, very mild recoil.
6. Easy slide to rack.
7. Perfect gun for a lady, but I like it too.

Here's the minus.
1. It's S/A only. Must be carried with the safety on, or rack the slide to use. I'd always use a pocket holster that covers the safety.
2. I'm not sure I'd call it a real pocket gun. Yeah, it will fit in your pocket, but I now carry a Seecamp.

Zero problems with my P238. Bought it when they first came out, 516 bucks out the door. Thing is accurate, easy to conceal and even though its a 380. I sure wouldn't want to get shot with one. Remember it is not the size of the bullet but the placement of the shot that counts.

I'm not looking to argue caliber, and I respect anyone's personal carry decision, but the shot placement argument doesn't fly. You can't imagine in a life threatening situation how much your knees and arms turn to liquid rubber. You can stand at the range and blow holes inside of holes all day at paper targets pinned to the wall, but when all of a sudden, you find yourself clearing leather because some ****head just whipped out a pistol and is focused on you, then whatever gun you have will feel very small, and you will be lucky to hit anything. I just speak from experience. I never even realized there were three guys because I was so dialed in on #1. Why sell yourself short on a sub-par caliber when it's no stretch to carry something that is an actual proven effective round? Why carry 6+1 ineffective rounds when you could easily carry 14+1 proven show stoppers? I'm sorry because I really don't want to debate it. Like I said earlier, it's a personal decision and I respect that, but I hate to see people delude themselves as to the level of their skills and personal safety when they've already made the decision to get legal and carry. If .380's were so great, then you'd see them used by all manner of LE, but they never do. They are a proven ineffective round, and it's foolish to argue their merits.

I'm not looking to argue caliber, and I respect anyone's personal carry decision, but the shot placement argument doesn't fly. You can't imagine in a life threatening situation how much your knees and arms turn to liquid rubber. You can stand at the range and blow holes inside of holes all day at paper targets pinned to the wall, but when all of a sudden, you find yourself clearing leather because some ****head just whipped out a pistol and is focused on you, then whatever gun you have will feel very small, and you will be lucky to hit anything. I just speak from experience. I never even realized there were three guys because I was so dialed in on #1. Why sell yourself short on a sub-par caliber when it's no stretch to carry something that is an actual proven effective round? Why carry 6+1 ineffective rounds when you could easily carry 14+1 proven show stoppers? I'm sorry because I really don't want to debate it. Like I said earlier, it's a personal decision and I respect that, but I hate to see people delude themselves as to the level of their skills and personal safety when they've already made the decision to get legal and carry. If .380's were so great, then you'd see them used by all manner of LE, but they never do. They are a proven ineffective round, and it's foolish to argue their merits.

You have basically said the same thing twice in this thread and I still TOTALLY AGREE. I can post it again for you if anyone missed it.

If .380's were so great, then you'd see them used by all manner of LE, but they never do. They are a proven ineffective round, and it's foolish to argue their merits.

- There's a big difference between LE and civilians. LE's don't have to conceal anything. There is absolutely no reason for them to carry pocket sized pistols.

Not everyone on this forum walks around with untucked shirts or has pockets big enough to conceal even something the size of a LCP. Take a look at the pockets on women's pants. It's laughable. Nor is anyone delusional enough to believe that a .380ACP is as effective as a 9mm or .45ACP. The fact is not everyone can or wants to conceal anything more than a pocket pistol.

I know we are not trying to make this a caliber debate and it is not, however another big thing that most people do not consider is that LEO have to shoot through barriers, where as Civilians most of the time do not need to hence the LEO's need for a more powerful round. Also from my limited google knowledge, LEO may not use the lowly .380acp round as their primary round, but some agencies approve of them as backup and I am sure that LEO's that use it know the limitations of the round. God Bless

Originally Posted by Yankeejib

If .380's were so great, then you'd see them used by all manner of LE, but they never do. They are a proven ineffective round, and it's foolish to argue their merits.

Some people just cannot conceal or afford a larger weapon than a .380 Auto. Therefore, a Ruger LCP, Sig Sauer P238/P232 or similar handgun in this caliber would be perfect for them. A .380 pistol loaded with the right ammo and the proper training is enough to save anyone's life. A well placed shot of .380 in between the eyes or at the heart is just as effective as a 9mm.

Again, I believe that shot placement goes out the window as adrenaline rises, rendering a perfect placed shot to the heart or head something that can't be relied on. I choose to not limit myself to a (in my opinion) substandard caliber weapon for self defense. I don't want to have to rely on perfect shot placement to save my life. Everything in CC is a choice. I choose to carry nothing smaller than 9mm for SD.

If you get a good 238 I think you will be fine. They have had some issues, don't know if they are over them or not.

I got to shoot a Bodyguard this past weekend. A buddy picked one up and Saturday we went out to shoot so I tried it out. The trigger is absolutely horrible. Long isn't even a good description for it. Once I got past that, I was actually surprised at how accurate it was out of the box. He has the one with the built laser. Not for me, but it is his gun. I turned it off and just used the factory sights.

Like I said the trigger is long. Half way through the pull, I stopped let off of the trigger and checked to make sure that there was a round chambered. Seriously, the trigger is long. So once I figured that part out, and got through an entire magazine. I was pretty surprised at how accurate the gun is if you do what you're supposed to. From 20/25 ft or so, I was able to put an entire magazine into an area about the size of a half dollar. They all impacted about 1 inch high of the X I was aiming at. This was standing, both hands and taking deliberate time to make sure I was were I was supposed to be when the trigger broke and let the round fly.

There were no issues with the gun its first time being fired. I am not sure how many rounds total he put through it, but it probably wasn't more than 150 or so. This was shooting S&B 92 gr, I think. If I was looking for a .380 and didn't have my PT238, I would consider a Bodyguard.

Just remember that shot placement is much more important with what you carry than how big a bang you get with each trigger pull.www.ddchl.com
Texas CHL Instructor
Texas Hunter Education Instructor
NRA Instructor

I have a P238, I put the hoque rubber grips on it to beef it up. Love it to death(pun intended) I am in a wheelchair and would love to find a small 9mm easy to rack. All these new small 9mm are tough for me. I have a Bersa 9mm Ultra compact(10&1) by the nightstand and that is easy to rack. It seems the smaller ones are tough for me to grab onto